🇲🇽 Mexico & Central America
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mexico & Central America ≈ Partly estimated See Mexico country profile →
Wide gap between tourist-zone and outside-center rents; high AC bills. Now sourced from live Playa data (42 contributors); latest pull didn't compute a monthly budget — ms/mf carried from prior data
Climate
Rainfall, humidity, and the best months to visit: see the full Playa del Carmen climate profile →
Internet speeds
Measured medians from 25,946 real speedtests within 10 km of the city center (Q1 2026) — not advertised ISP numbers.
| Download | Upload | Latency | Tests | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed broadband | 115 Mbps | 90.2 Mbps | 17 ms | 24,925 |
| Mobile | 71.7 Mbps | 17.4 Mbps | 57 ms | 1,021 |
Speedtest® by Ookla Global Fixed and Mobile Network Performance Maps, © Ookla. Accessed 2026-07-18. Your building's wiring and ISP plan matter more than the city median. Compare all cities in the Internet Speed Explorer →
Cost of living breakdown
USD converted from local prices at baseline rates (1 USD = 17.203 MXN, 2026-06-16). Use the Cost of Living Explorer for live exchange rates.
| 💰 Monthly budgets | USD | Local |
|---|---|---|
| Individual (excl. rent) | $849 | MXN 14,598 |
| Individual all-in (excl. rent + 1BR center) | $1,922 | — |
| Family of 4 (excl. rent) | $3,001 | MXN 51,633 |
| Average net salary (after tax) | $675 | MXN 11,607 |
| 🏢 Rent & property | USD | Local |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR city center | $1,073 | MXN 18,464 |
| 1BR outside center | $397 | MXN 6,829 |
| 3BR city center | $1,938 | MXN 33,333 |
| 3BR outside center | $1,279 | MXN 22,000 |
| Buy price / sqft — center | $373 | MXN 6,415 |
| Buy price / sqft — outside | $608 | MXN 10,462 |
| 🍽️ Food & dining | USD | Local |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap meal (1 person) | $12.97 | MXN 223 |
| Mid-range dinner (2 people) | $46.50 | MXN 800 |
| Fast food combo | $12.76 | MXN 220 |
| Beef (per lb) | $5.71 | MXN 98.28 |
| Taxi (per mile) | $5.81 | MXN 100 |
| ⚡ Utilities & lifestyle | USD | Local |
|---|---|---|
| Basic utilities / mo | $90 | MXN 1,540 |
| Phone plan / mo | $23 | MXN 400 |
| Internet / mo | $31 | MXN 536 |
| Gym membership / mo | $68 | MXN 1,174 |
| Cinema ticket | $5.01 | MXN 86.11 |
| Preschool / mo | $219 | MXN 3,775 |
| International school / yr | $4,185 | MXN 72,000 |
| New car (Corolla equiv.) | $22,496 | MXN 386,990 |
Visa, taxes & legal in Mexico
Country-level research that applies to living in Playa del Carmen — each row links to the full comparison dashboard.
| Tourist entry (US passport) | Up to 180 days visa-free (officer's discretion, often less now) |
| Digital nomad visa | No dedicated digital nomad visa — compare all countries → |
| Path to permanent residency | Yes → automatic eligibility after 4 yrs temporary |
| Tax if you become resident | Worldwide (not territorial) system · top rate 35% top — tax breakdown → |
| Family-law exposure (payer) | Obligation 6/10 · cross-border collection 5/10 — legal detail → |
Everything about the country in one place: Mexico profile for American nomads →
Location
Compare with nearby cities
Data last updated · Source: Numbeo